The British industrial revolution, and the technological achievements accompanying that, were at its height during the 19th century. Bold project, such as the Channel Causeway - plagued with delays, it was completed only in the century following - were endeavoured, to testify of Britain's industrial accomplishment.

There were several outstanding individuals that contributed to the progress of technological advancement. The first portrait below is that of Robur the Conqueror. When bright lights and strange aerial phenomenon begin to be seen around the world of 1886, everyone is perplexed as to what such thing could be. But, when the president and secretary of the balloon-society Weldon Institute, Philadelphia, are kidnapped by the engineer Robur, they quickly find that he and his fantastic airship the Albatross are responsible for the strange phenomenon; Robur has mastered heavier-than-air travel with his giant electric-powered airship.¹

The small portrait next to that of Robur is that of Karl Friedrich Hieronymus, Baron of Münchhausen, best known for his extraordinary tall tales. A collection of his tales first appeared in 1781-3, under the title Vademecum fur Lustige Leute  (Manual for Merry People), but Münchhausen was made into the epitome of the European tall tale teller with the 1785 Baron Munchhausen's Narrative of His Marvellous Travels and Campaigns in Russia.

The third portrait is that of the Steam House, which is actually a gigantic mechanical elephant, driven by a powerful steam engine. The story behind this, is that Colonel Edward Munro's friend "Banks the Engineer" builds this, so that Munro, Banks, and their friends can travel across India in it; they want to go from Bengal to Bombay, sightseeing and hunting as they go, without having to rely upon the railway. Unfortunately, the time is 1866, and Nana Sahib well remembers the Indian Mutiny of 1847 and is plotting for a new uprising. Nana particularly has it in for Colonel Munro, who committed various atrocities against Nana's family and friends. Munro, in turn, hates Nana, because he incorrectly believes that Nana murdered the colonel's wife. Munro takes the Steam House across India, and it proves to be a reliable and useful vehicle, but when the Indians attack Munro and his friends are forced to abandon it, and the Indians blow it up.¹

The last portrait to the far right is that of Mr. Phileas Fogg. Fogg, a respected member of the London Reform Club, was challenged over his assertion that the world could be traversed in eighty days, and makes a 20,000 pound wager with his three partners over his statement. He then travels home, and together with his servant Passepartout travels around the world in eighty days, to arrive back at the Reform Club exactly on time.²

One of the most mysterious foes the Empire ever faced comes in the person of a former Indian prince, a muteneer against the British rule over his country. Nemo's past before he became captain of the submarine the Nautilus is unknown to everyone. All that is known for sure is that, after the Sepoy Mutiny, he used his scientific genius to construct his submarine, then gathered together a crew of like-minded mariners, and launched a secret war against war itself. Also known is, that after destroying a number of vessels, he picked up Professor Pierre Aronnax and his associates in 1866, who then eventually escaped from him. Several years later, Nemo was found by stranded travellers on an island dominated by giant mutations, and appeared to have died.³

However, this story proved to be fake, and Nemo was recruited by British intelligence in the late 1890s. He played a key-role in the retrieval of the cavorite, and in the repel of the Martian invaders. Nemo, however, resigned from the league out of disgust for the use of disease weaponry against the Martian invaders.

¹ from Robur the Conqueror and Master of the World, by Jules Verne, and from The Steam House, by Jules Verne, ² from Around the World in Eighty Days, by Jules Verne, ³ from Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and The Mysterious Island, by Jules Verne. Many thanks to Jess Nevins' Fantastic Victoriana website. The portraits are taken from this location. The image of the Nautilus is scanned by myself, and may be reproduced under the terms outlined on the disclaimer page.